Typewriting machine



Aug. 11,1931.

1.. c. MYERS 1,818,860

TYPEWRITING IACHINB Filed Nov. 7. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS SearchRoom Search R00 I97TYPEWR1TING MACHlNES Aug. 11, 1931. L. c. was

I'YPMITIIIO IACIIII F11! Nov. 7. 1929 3 ShOOtS-Shifl 3 v1. a ATTORNEYS,

l l r a wav BY Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEWISC. MYERS, OI FBEEPORT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO ROYAL TUEWRITEB COM- PANY,INC 0] NEW YORK, N. Y A CORPORATION 01' NEW YORK TYPEWBITING uacnnmApplication filed lI'ovember 7, 1928. Serial In. 405,880.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in typewritingmachines generally, although more specifically to imrovements intabulating mechanisms thereor.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with Royalportable typewriters although from certain aspects the invention may beapplied to typewriting machines of other ty es. In typewriting machinesgenerally, an particularly in those of the portable type, the o cratingparts must be necessarily positione in close compact relation asavailable working space is extremel limited.

There ore among the several objects of my invention are to provide atabulating mechanism which will fit into a limited space and which willnot interfere in any manner with the carriage shift frame or with any ofthe other operating parts of the machine, and to rovide a tabular stopin manner which wil permit of its ready adjustment along the tabularrack.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in sectionshowing a typewriting machine embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of such a machine, parts being omitted tobetter disclose my invention,

Fi re 3 is a detail rear elevation showing t e rocking frames to whichthe tabular rack and the feed rack are fixedly connected,

Figure 4 is a detail top plan view of the machine, parts being omittedto better disclose my invention,

Figure 5 is a right hand end elevation of the carriage,

Figure 6 is a left hand end elevation of the carriage,

Figure 7 is a plan view of a blank used in forming a tabular stop.

Figure 8 is an end elevation of a tabular sto l: igure 9 is aperspective view of a tabular stolp spring, 7

igure 10 is an elevation thereof, and

Figure 11 is a detail vertical sectional view showing the relationbetween the tabular rack and the combined lifting and stop lever.

In the accompanying drawings, I have i1- lustrated my invention as beingapplied to a Royal portable typewriting machine which includes a mainframe A having a front wall 5, a rear wall 6, and side walls 7 and 8 restively. The rear wall 6 is provided a ong its upper and lower edges withinturned flanges 9 and 10 respectively. Supported on the main frame Afor substantially vertical movements in the usual manner is a shiftframe B and movably mounted on this shift frame is a carriage Cincluding a platen 11 and end walls 12 and 13 respectively. The carriageC is supported on the shift frame B through the medium of spaced upperrails 14, 14 and cooperating rails 15, 15, the former being fixed to thecarriage and the latter being fixed to the shift frame. The carriage Cis fed in a letter space direction by the usual spring drum l6 andescapement mechanism which includes an escapement pinion 17. The detailconstruction of the escapement mechanism is not shown as any ordinaryescapement mechanism may be employed. Besides the escapement pinion 17,the escapement mechanism necessarily includes a feed rack 18 which isnormally held in mesh with the pinion but is ada ted to be disengagedtherefrom whenever t e tabular mec anism is thrown into operation orwhen it is desired to move the carriage in a letter space directionwithout employing the usual s acing key lever. In the present instance,t e pinion 17 and the feed rack 18 are located below the carriage andbetween the rails thereof. The feed rack 18 is fixedl connected at itsends to rocking frames and E which are in turn fulcrumed on alinedpivots 19 and 20 supported on the end plates 12 and 13 respectively.

The swinging frame D consists of a 3- turned end or arm 27 which isfulcrumed on the pivot screw 19. The depending arm 21 of the swingingframe D has its lower end inturned as at 28 and the free end thereof islocated in a slot 29 formed in the adjacent end of the feed rack 18.

The swinging frame E comprises a 2- armed lever which is fulcrumed onthe pivot 20 and includes a depending arm 30 and a laterally andrearwardly extending arm 31. The depending arm 30 is provided with aninwardly extending portion or arm 32 which overlies the adjacent end ofthe feed rack 18 and is connected thereto by screws 33, 33. Therearwardly extending arm 31 is provided with a bent over lug 34 and acoil spring 35 is connected at one end to this lug and at its other endto a lug 36 fixed to the carriage C. This spring functions to yieldablyretain the feed rack 18 in engagement with the escapementpinion 17. Atabular rack 37 is located in rear of the carriage and is attached tothe swinging frames D and E. For this purpose one end of the tabularrack 37 is rigidly connected to the rearwardly extending arm 22 of theswinging frame D by means of a screw 38. The other end of the tabularrack 37 is fixedly connected by a screw 39 to a plate 40 attached byscrews 41, 41 to the.rearwardly extending or lateral arm 31 of theswinging frame E. The plate 40 is provided with an upwardly extendingarm 42 which terminates at its upper end in a finger piece 43. Thus upondepression of either finger piece 24 or 43 both rocking frames D and Ewill be simultaneously swung about their respective pivots and both thefeed rack 18 and the tabular rack 37 will be swung in unison therebymoving the feed rack 18 toward and from or into and out of engagementwith the escapement pinion 17.

The tabular rack 37 is provided on its inner face with a series of teeth44 and mounted on said tabular rack for independent adjustmentstherealong is a plurality of tabular stops H. Each stop H is preferablyformed from a single blank 45 of sheet metal. This blank is formed intorectangular or ring shaped member adapted to encircle or embrace thetabular rack, and includes a top wall 46, a bottom wall 47, an innerwall 48 and an outer wall 49. The distance between the top and bottomwalls 46 and 47 is slightly greater than the height of the tabular rackso as to permit the stops H to be freely slid therealong. The distance,however. between the inner and outer walls 48 and 49 is somewhat greaterthan the width of the tabular rack so as to permit the stop H to bemoved transversely thereof. The inner wall 48 is provided at its endswith integral lugs 50. 50 which extend inwardly for engagement with apair of teeth 44 of the tabular rack. The outer wall 49 of the stop H isprovided with an inwardly extending projection or anchor 51 which in thepresent instance is preferably formed by punching said outer wall asuitable distance. Disposed between the tabuular rack 37 and the outerwall 49 of the stop H is a spring I which in this instance is formedfrom a single length of wire bent into rectangular shape having threesides located in a common plane and having one end portion 52 bentoutwardly at an angle from said plane and terminating in an eye 53 forinterlocking engagement with the projection or anchor 51 so as to retainthe spring against movement relative to the stop H. The angularly bentend portion 52 causes the stop H to be moved forwardly so as to retainthe lugs 50, 50 in engagement with the teeth 44 of the tabular rack. Itwill be apparent, however, that upon forward pressure by the operator,the spring will be compressed and the lugs 50, 50 will become disengagedfrom the teeth 44 and consequently the operator may then freely slidethe stop along the tabular rack to any desired position of adjustmentwhereupon the stop H will be automatically retained in its adjustedposition upon release by the operator.

My invention also comprises a key-operated means for releasing the feedrack 18 from the escapement pinion 1'7 and for effecting an arrestingmovement to the carriage depending upon the positions of the tabularstops H. To this end each of the tabular stops H is provided with aclownwardly extending lug or stop 54 which are preferably integral withthe respective bottom walls 47. Disposed under the tabular rack 37 is acombined lifting and stop lever J which includes a horizontal arm 55 anda downwardly extending vertical arm 56. This lever J is fulcrumed at itsangle on a horizontal pivot 57 to a bracket 58 attached to the shiftframe B. A stop in 59 is fixed to the bracket 58 to limit the downwardmovement of the horizontal arm 55. and a coil spring 60 is connectedatone end to the vertical arm 56 and at its other end to the bracket 58and functions to yieldably retain the vertical arm 56 against the stoppin 59. The free end of the horizontal arm 55 is normally held by thespring 60 below and in spaced relation to the tabular rack 37. It isevident, however, that when the lever J is swung about its pivot 57 andagainst the tension of the spring 60, the free end 55 of the arm 55 willengage the tabular rack 37 and thereby elevate the same. The upwardmovement of the tabular rack 37 will through the medium of the swingingframes D and E, cause the rack 18 to be swung rearwardly out ofengagement with the escapement inion l7, and upon release of the leverthe spring 35 will return the parts to their normal positions. Thus whenthe lever J is swung to its operative position to release the feed rack18 from the escapement pinion 17, the angled end of 55 of the arm 55 ofsaid lever will be moved upwardly into the path of the depending stoplug 54 of the next adjacent tabular stop H and consequently the carriagewill be moved by the drum 16 until said stop 54 engages the free end ofthe arm 55 of the lever J. Upon release of the lever J the parts will bereturned to their normal ositions and the carriage stopped in thead1usted position thereof. In order to maintain the end of 55 of the arm55 of the lever J in sliding contact with the tabular rack 37 during theupward movement of the latter, I have provided the free end portion ofthe arm 55 with a guard shoe 61.

In order to operate the lever J from a point in front of the machine, Ihave provided a key-o erated mechanism which includes a key ever 62which is fulcrumed as at 63 to the main frame of the machine. A verticalrod 64 is disposed between the flanges 9 and 10 of the rear wall 6 andis fixedly secured thereto by any suitable means. Journaled on the rod64 is a bell crank lever 65 having arms 66 and 67 arranged at rightangles to each other. A link 68 has its forward end pivotally connectedto the key lever 62 and its rear end pivotally connected to the arm 66of the bell crank lever 65. A. long link 69 is pivotally connected atone end to the arm 67 of the bell crank lever 65 and at its other end tothe vertical arm 56 of the combined lifting and stop lever J. The bellcrank lever 65 is preferably held against vertical movements on the rod64 by means of upper and lower collars 70 and 71 respectively.

In operation the tabular stops Hare initially set to any predeterminedposition of adjustment on the tabular rack 37. When it is desired toperform a tabulating operation, the operator depresses the key lever 62and as a result the combined lifting and stop lever J will be swungagainst the tension of the spring 60. During this movement of the leverJ, the arm 55 will be raised to engage the tabular rack 37 and uponcontinued movement of said lever the rack 37 will be elevated. Inasmuchas this tabular rack 37 is rigidly connected to the feed rack 18 throughthe medium of the rocking frames D and E, it will be apparent that thefeed rack 18 will be disengaged from the pinion 17 and consequently thedrum 16 will immediately eifect a movement of the carriage along itssupporting track until the depending lug or stop 54 of the adjacenttabular stop H is brought into engagement with the free end of the arm55 of the lever J. Immediately upon release of the key lever 62 by theoperator, the springs 35 and 60 will quickly return the parts to theirnormal positions whereby the feed rack 18 will be engaged with theescapement pinion 17 and the carriage will thus be stopped in itsarrested position. Inasmuch as the link 69 is of considerable lengthrelative to the length of the carriage, it will be apparent that whenthe shift frame is elevated there will be no movement imparted to thelever J. \Vhen it is desired to release the carriage from the escapementand without utilizing the tabular stops H, it is only necessary tooperate either of the finger pieces 21 or 43 because upon depression ofeither of said finger pieces the frames D and E will be rocked and thefeed rack 18 will become disengaged from the escapement pinion 17 thuspermitting the carriage to be placed in any position within the extremelimits of the carnage movement.

The plate *0 is provided with a downward extension 40 which normallyengages the adjacent upper carriage rail It to limit the movement of thecarriage rack 18 for proper meshing with the escapement pinion 17.

The curved guard shoe 61 prevents the angled end 55 of the lever J fromsliding off the rack 37 when the rack is in its lifted position as shownin Figure 5, and the curved shoe will also ride over the stop rack teethand the stop H without catching.

I claim:

1. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising acarriage, an escapement pinion, a tabular rack and a feed rack pivotedto the carriage to move in unison whereby the feed rack is moved intoand out of engagement with the pinion, stops on the tabular rack, andmeans engageable with the tabular rack for swinging the feed rack out ofengagement with the pinion to release the carriage therefrom and forcooperating with one of the tabular stops to limit the movement of thecarriage.

2. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising acarriage, an escapement pinion, a tabular rack and a feed rack fixed torocking frames pivoted to the carriage to move in unison whereby thefeed rack is moved into and out of engagement with the pinion, stops onthe tabular rack, key-operated stop means including a combined liftingand stop lever engageable with the tabular rack for swinging the rockingframes to disengage the feed rack from the pinion and for simultaneouslycooperating with one of the tabular stops to limit movement of thecarriage to a prede termined distance, and a spring for normallyretaining said lever out of engagement with the tabular rack.

3. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising acarriage, an esca-pement pinion, a tabular rack and a feed rack fixed torocking frames pivoted to the carriage to move in unison whereby thefeed rack is moved into and out of engagement with the pinion, stops onthe tabular rack, key-operated stop means including a --ombined liftingand stop lever engageable with the tabular rack for swinging the rockingframes to disengage the feed rack from the pinion and for simultaneouslycooperating with one of the tabular stops to limit movement of thecarriage to a predetermined distance, a spring for normally retainingsaid lever out of engagement with the tabular rack, and a guard shoefixed to the lever for cooperating with the tabular rack to maintain thelever in operative engagement with the rack.

l. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising incombination, a main frame, a substantially vertically movable shiftframe, means for moving said shift frame. a carriage movably mounted onthe shift frame, an escapement mechanism including a pinion and a feedrack respectively mounted on the shift frame and carriage, the feed rackbeing movable into and out of engagement with the pinion, a tabular rackconnected to the feed rack to move therewith, stops mounted on thetabular rack, and means including a combined lifting and stop leverfulcrumed on the shift frame and engageable with the tubular rack formoving both racks to disengage the feed rack from the pinion and forsimultaneously cooperating with one of the tabular stops to limitmovement of the carriage to a predetermined distance.

5. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising incombination, a main frame, a substantially vertically movable shiftframe, means for moving said shift frame, a carriage movably mounted onthe shift frame, an escapement mechanism including a pinion and a feedrack respectively mounted on the shift frame and carriage, the feed rackbeing movable into and out of engagement with the pinion, a tabular rackconnected to the feed rack to move therewith, stops mounted on thetabular rack, means including a combined lifting and stop leverfulcrumed on the shift frame and engageable with the tabular rack formoving both racks to disengage the feed .rack from the pinion and forsimultaneously cooperating with one of the tabular stops to limitmovement of the carriage to a predetermined distance, a spring fornormally retaining said lever out of engagement with the tabular rack,and a guard shoe fixed to the lever for cooperation with the tabularrack to maintain the lever in operative engagement with the rack.

6. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising incombination, a main frame. a substantially vertically movable shiftframe, means for moving said shift frame, a carriage movably mounted onthe shift frame and including spaced track rails, an escapementmechanism including a pinion and a feed rack located between said ails,a tabular rack located in rear of the carriage, adjustable stops mountedon the tabular rack, rocking frames respectively pivoted to the ends ofthe carriage and having fixed connections with the feed rack and withthe tabular rack, a spring for normally retaining the feed rack inengagement with the pinion, and means including a combined lifting andstop lever fulcrumed on the shift frame and engageable with the tabularrack for swinging the rocking frames to disengage the feed rack from thepinion and for simultaneously cooperating with one of the tabular stopsto limit movement of the carriage to a predetermined distance.

7. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising incombination, a main frame, a substantially vertically movable shiftframe, means for moving said shift frame, a carriage movably mounted onthe shiftframe, an escapement mechanism including a pinion and a feedrack respectively mounted on the shift frame and carriage. the feed rackbeing movable into and out of engagement with the pinion, a tabular rackconnected to the feed rack to move therewith, stops mounted on thetabular rack, and means for moving both racks to disengage the feed rackfrom the pinion and for simultaneously cooperating with one of thetabular stops to limit movement of the carriage to a predetermineddistance, said means including a key lever fulcrumed on the main frame,a bell crank lever fulcrumed on a vertical axis on the main frame belowthe tabular rack, a link connecting the key lever with one arm of thebell crank lever, a combined lifting and stop lever fulcrumed on ahorizontal axis on the shift frame and engageable with the tabular rack,and a link connecting said combined lifting and stop lever and the otherarm of the bell crank lever, the last mentioned link extending inparallelism with the tabular rack.

8. In a tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines, the combinationof a tabular rack having teeth on one side thereof, and a tabular stopadjustably mounted thereon, said stop comprising a rectangular memberencircling the rack, the wall of the member opposite the rack teethhaving an anchor extending inwardly therefrom, and a spring disposedbetween said wall and the rack and comprising a length of wire ofrectangular form having three sides located in a common plane andbearing against the face of the rack opposite the anchor, one endportion of the wire extending outwardly from said plane and terminatingin an eye having interlocking connection with the anchor.

9. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising incombination, a main frame, a carriage, a carriage escapement mechanismincluding a pinion and a feed rack, the feed rack being movable into andout of engagement with the pinion, a tabular rack connected to the feedrack to move therewith. stops mounted on the tabular rack. and meansincluding a stop lever engage-able with the tabular rack for lllOV- ingboth racks to disengage the feed rack from the pinion and forsimultaneously cooperating with one of the tabular stops to limitmovement of the carriage to a predetermined distance.

10. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising incombination, a main frame, a carriage, a carriage escapement mechanismincluding a pinion and a feed rack, the feed rack being movable into andout of engagement with the pinion, a tabular rack connected to the feedrack to move therewith, stops mounted on the tabular rack, meansincluding a sto lever engageable with the tabular rack tor moving bothracks to disengage the feed rack from the pinion and for simultaneouslycooperating with one of the tabular stops to limit movement of thecarriage to a predetermined distance, a spring for normally retainingsaid lever out of engagement with the tabular rack, and a guard shoefixed to the lever for cooperation with the tabular rack to maintain thelever in operative engagement with the rack.

11. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising incombination, a main frame, a carriage including spaced track rails, anescapement mechanism including a pinion and a feed rack located betweensaid rails, a tabular rack located in rear of the carriage, adjustablestops mounted on the tabular rack, rocking frames respectively pivotedto the ends of the carriage and having fixed connections with the feedrack and with the tabular rack, a spring for normally retaining the feedrack in engagement with the pinion, and means including a stop leverengageable with the tabular rack for swingin the rocking frames todisengage the fee rack from the pinion and for simultaneouslycooperating with one of the tabular stops to limit movement of thecarriage to a predetermined distance.

12. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising incombination, a main frame, a carnage, a carriage esca ment mechanismincluding a pinion an a feed rack, the feed rack being movable into andout of engagement with the pinion, a tabular rack connected to the feedrack to move therewith, stops mounted on the tabular rack, and means formoving both racks to disengage the feed rack from the pinion and forsimultaneously cooperating with one of the tabular stops to limitmovement of the carriage to a predetermined distance, said meansincluding a key lever fulcrumed on the main frame. a bell crank levertulcrumed on a vertical axis on the main frame below the tabular rack. alink connecting the key lever with one arm of the bell crank lever. astop lever fulcrumed on a horizontal axis and engageable with thetabular rack, and a link connecting said stop lever and the other arm ofthe bell crank lever, the last mentioned link extending in parallelismwith the tabular rack.

13. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising acarriage, an escapement pinion, a tabular rack and a feed rack pivotedto the carriage to move in unison whereby the feed rack is moved intoand out of engagement with the pinion. stops on the tabular rack, andkey-operated stop means including a combined lifting and stop leverengageable with the tabular rack for swinging the rocking frames todisengage the feed rack from the pinion and for simultaneouslycooperating with one of the tabular stops to limit movement of thecarriage to a predetermined distance. 14. A tabulating mechanism fortypewriting machines comprising a carriage, an escapement pinion, atabular rack and a feed rack pivoted to the carriage to move in unisonwhereby the feed rack is moved into and out of engagement with thepinion, stops on the tabular rack, key-operated stop means including acombined lifting and stop lever engageable with the tabular rack forswinging the rocking frames to disengage the feed rack from the pinionand for simultaneously cooperating with one of the tabular stops tolimit movement of the carriage to a redeterminecl distance, and a guardshoe xed to the lever for cooperation with the tabular rack to maintainthe lever in operative engagement with the rack.

15. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising acarriage and spaced track rails therefor, an escapement mechanismincluding a pinion and a feed rack located between said rails, a tabularrack located in rear of the carriage, adjustable stops mounted on thetabular rack, rocking frames respectively pivoted to the ends of thecarriage and having fixed connections with the feed rack and with thetabular rack, and key operated stop means for swinging the rockingframes to disengage the feed rack from the pinion and for simultaneouslycooperating with one of the tabular stops to limit movement of thecarriage to a predetermined distance.

16. A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprising acarriage and spaced track rails therefor, an escapement mechanismincluding a pinion and a feed rack located between said rails, a tabularrack located in rear of the carriage, adjustable stops mounted on thetabular rack, rocking frames respectively pivoted to the ends of thecarriage and havin fixed connections with the feed rack an with thetabular rack, key-operated stop means including a combined lifting andstop lever en ageable with the tabular rack for swinging t e rockingframes to disengage the feed rack from the pinion and for simultaneouslycooperating with one of the tabular stops to limit movement of thecarriage to a predetermined distance, and a spring for normallyretaining said lever out of engagement with the tabular rack.

17 A tabulating mechanism for typewriting machines comprisin a carriageand spaced track rails there or, an escapement mechanism including ainion and a feed rack located between said rails, a tabular rack locatedin rear of the carriage, adjusable stops mounted on the tabular rack,rocking frames respectively pivoted to the ends of the carriage andhaving fixed connections with the feed rack and with the tabular rack,key-operated stop means including a combined lifting and stop lever enageable with the tabular rack for swinging t e rocking frames todisengage the feed rack from thepinion and for simultaneouslycooperating with one of the tabular stops to limit movement of thecarriage to a predetermined distance, a sprin for normally retainin saidlever out 0 en agement with the ta ular rack, and a guarc l shoe fixedto the lever for cooperation with the tabular rack to maintain the leverin operative engafiement with the rack.

testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LEWIS C. MYERS.

